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The chigger mites (Acari:Trombiculidae) of the Philippine Islands
Brown, Wayne Allen, Ph.D. University of Hawaii, 1991
V·M·I 300N.ZeebRei. AnnArbor,MI 48106 ~~------_._~-- THE ClllGGER MITES (ACARI: TROMBICULIDAE) OF THE PlllLIPPINE ISLANDS.
A DISSERTATION SUBMITIED TO THE GRADUATE DIVISION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR TIlEDEGREE OF
OOCTOR OFPHILOSOPHY
INENTOMOLOGY
MAY 1991
By
Wayne A. Brown
Dissertation Committee:
M. Lee Goff, Chairman John W. Beardsley D. Elmo Hardy Wallace C. Mitchell Christopher Womersley ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study was made possible by the assistance and encouragement of many individuals; my gratitude and thanks are extended to all. Foremost was my major professor and committee chairman Dr. M. Lee Goff. Special thanks are extended to him for his guidance and encouragement. Thanks are also given to the other members of my graduate committee: Dr. John W. Beardsley, Dr. D. Elmo Hardy, Dr. Wallace C. Mitchell, Dr. Christopher Womersley and Dr. F. DeWolfe Miller for their suggestions and aid, additionally I thank Dr. Arthur Kodama for acting as proxy, for Dr. Womersley, during the oral defense of this dissertation. I am also indebted to Dr. JoAnn Tenorio and Mr. Gordon Nishida of the Department of Entomology, Bishop Museum, and to Dr. Barry O'Conner of the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology for loaning the ectoparasite collection material from the Philippine Islands for processing and study.
To my family I extend special thanks for assisting In many ways. Facilities for this study were provided by the Department of Entomology, University of Hawaii at Manoa.
111 ABSTRACf Examination of chiggers (larval Trombiculidae) from the Philippine Islands in the collections of the B. P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, and the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology has revealed the presence of 33 genera or subgenera and 60 species of which one genus and 24 species are new. Hosts include species of Rattus, which was the predominant genus, other rodents, bats, insectivores, deer, primates, birds, and reptiles. One genus, Octasternala is described as new. Twenty-four of the species are described as new: 4 in the genera Gahrllepia, Leptotrombidium, Microtrombicula; 2 in the genera Cheladonta and Myotrombicula; and 1 each in the genera Chiroptella, Diplectria, Octasternala, Rudnicula, Sasatrombicula, Schoengastia, Siseca and Trombigastia. Five previously described species; Ascoschoengastia tafia.Diplectria calva, Neoschoengastia posekanyi, Parascoshoengastia monticola, and Sasatrombicula keechongi are new records for the Philippine Islands. Four previously described species are of medical importance; Leptotrombidium deliense and L. fletcheri as vectors of scrub typhus and Eutrombicula wichmanni, and Blankaartia acuscutellaris as eitiological agents of scrub itch. L. deliense, E. wichmanni, and B. acuscutellaris are widespread throughout the archipelago. New host records and distribution by island and by elevation and terrain, where available, are given. Range of the genera occurring in the Philippine Islands and a key to the genera and species is provided.
IV TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii
ABSlRACT iv
LIST OF TABLES viii
LIST OF ILLUSlRAnONS ix
IN1RODUCTION 1
MAlERIALS AND METHODS 9
ACCOUNTS OFTIffi TAXA 13
Family Trombiculidae 13
Subfamily Leeuwenhoekiinae 14
Genus Odontacarus 15
Genus Whartonia. 18
Subfamily Trombiculinae 20
Genus Ascoschoengastia 21
Genu's Blankaartia 28
Genus Cheladonta 33
(Susa) 33
Genus Chiroptella '" 38
(Chiroptella) 39
(Neosomia) 41
v ACCOUNTS OF THE TAXA Cont.}
Genus Diptectria 46
Genus Doloisia 55
Genus Eutrombicula 57
Genus Gahrliepia 60
(Ripiaspichia) 61
(Scrobiculata) 76
(Walchia) 80
Genus Guntheria 82
Genus Heaslipia 83
Genus Helenicula 84
Genus Leptotrombidium ,. 86
(Leptotrombidium) 87
(Trombicultndus] 103
Genus Microtrombicula 107
(Eltonella) 107
(Microtrombicula) 116
Genus Myotrombicula 124
Genus Neoschoengastia 135
Genus Octasternala 140
VI ACCOUNTS OF TIIE TAXACont.)
Genus Parascoschoengastia 145
Genus Rudnicula 150
Genus Sasatrombicula 156
Genus Schoengastia 162
Genus Schoengastiella 168
Genus Siseca 171
Genus Toritrombicula 177
Genus Trombicula 179
Genus Trombigastia 180
Genus Walchiella 185
PARASITE DISTRIBUTION MAPS ANDTABLES 191
KEY TOTHE GENERA ANDSPECIES 213
DISCUSSION 226
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 234
LIlERATURE CITED 236
Vll LIST OF TABLES
Table 1 Parasite distribution table 203
Table 2 Parasite host table 207
Table 3 Chigger genera and subgenera distribution 211
V111 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Figure 1 Major collection sites in the Philippine Islands 12
Figure 2 Ascoshoengastia tafia 26
Figure 3 Blankaartia acuscutellaris 32
Figure 4 Cheladonta (Susa) n. sp. A 36
Figure 5 Chiroptella (Neosomia) n. sp. A 45
Figure 6 Diplectria n. sp. A 50
Figure 7 Diplectria calva 54
Figure 8 Gahrliepia (Ripiaspichia) n. sp. A 65
Figure 9 Gahrliepia (Ripiaspichia) n. sp. B 69
Figure 10 Gahrliepia (Ripiaspichia) n. sp. B. Idiosoma 71
Figure 11 Gahrliepia (Ripiaspichia) serrata 75
Figure 12 Gahrliepia (Scrobiculata) n. sp. A. 79
Figure 13 Leptotrombidium (Leptotrombidium) n. s. A...... 90
Figure 14 Leptotrombidium (Leptotrombidiumt n. sp. B..... 94
Figure 15 Leptotrombidium (Leptotrombidium) n. sp. C ..... 98
Figure 16 Leptotrombidium (Trombiculindus) n. sp. A..... 106
Figure 17 Microtrombicula (Eltonella) n. sp. A...... 111
Figure 18 Microtrombicula (Eltonella) n.sp.B...... 115
ix LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS (Cont.)
Figure 19 Microtrombicula (Microtrombicula) n. sp. A 119
Figure 20 Microtrombicula (Microtrombicula) n. sp. B 123
Figure 21 Myotrombicula n. sp. A 128
Figure 22 Myotrombicula n, sp. AJdiosoma...... 130
Figure 23 Myotrom